Early to Bed, Early To Rise

In only 11 days I have gone from the Big City in NY all the way to the home of the Buckeyes- Columbus Ohio.   In less than 2 weeks we have totaled about 700 miles.

Day 1  New York City, NY- Hillsborough, NJ  (64.6 miles)
Day 2  Hillsborough, NJ- Philadelphia, PA  (83.1)
Day 3  Philadelphia, PA- Lancaster, PA  (80.6)
Day 4  Lancaster, PA- Chambersburg, PA  (80)
Day 5  Chambersburg, PA- Everett, PA  (65)
Day 6  Everett, PA- Mt. Pleasant, PA  (80.7 * Through the mountains)
Day 7  Mt. Pleasant, PA- Pittsburg, PA  (47.4)
Day 8  EVENT DAY IN PITTSBURG, PA  (It is called an event day and not a rest day because there is hardly any time to rest.)
Day 9  Pittsburg, PA- Cadiz, OH  (91.3)
Day 10  Cadiz, OH- Zanesville, OH  (54.5)
Day 11  Zanesville, OH- Columbus, OH  (54.1)

And I know that in just those 700 miles I have already done so many things that I never thought I could do- like climb mountains and see the light of day before 6am on a day to day basis.  This is what a typical day looks like.

6am:  Wake up (But everyone's alarm clocks start screeching one by one starting at 5:45)
6:06am: Ron tells me that I really need to get up....NOW.
6:06am-6:20am:  I somehow manage to blindly go to the bathroom, brush my teeth, put on my biking shorts, jersey and socks, lather on sunscreen and chamois butter all over my body- and I mean all over, shove everything back into my backpack and set it out by the van for the van packers (the bags are supposed to be out by 6:15...I am trying hard to shave seconds off my time everyday).  *Thank goodness for Ron because he rolls up my sleeping bag and sleeping pad every single day and puts them out by the van.
6:20am-7:00am:  We eat breakfast, then clean up and wash dishes if any were used, air up our bike tires (Ron usually helps me with this too,) fill up water bottles, double check to make sure I didn't forget anything, get our cues, and form groups for the day (we ride in groups of 3-7 people everyday).
7:00am:  Announcements and MOSHER TIME!!!!!!  (5-10 minute fun group activity to get the day started.)

We ride the rest of the day- depending how long we ride we get to our destination anywhere between 3pm and even 8pm (at the latest).  We stop about every 20 miles on the ride.  Typically it would be
mile 20= Water break/rest stop
miles 40= lunch (PB &J's)
mile 60= Last rest stop

or on shorter days....

Mile 15= water break/ rest stop
Mile 30= Water break/ rest stop
Mile 45= Lunch

We get in to our stay over and the first group to arrive helps unpack the van.  We all get in and take turns taking showers (or being car pooled to local gyms to shower)  Typically there is one or two showers for boys and one or two showers for girls.  Then we all have dinner.   So far we have only had to completely prepare 1 dinner for ourselves.  Every other night dinner has been provided for us either by the churches we stay over at or through local donations such as Chipotle or Dominos.  Some nights this is when errands our ran to places like CVS for anything anyone might need.  Once all 28 of us our showered and fed and prepped for the next day (having clothes laid out and bikes are cared for) it is already pushing 9pm if not 10.  Its bedtime.  If I had it my way I would be going to bed at 7pm.  There are days I honestly don't even have the energy to want to eat or shower.  Because no matter what time I go to bed- 5:45am always comes way too soon for my liking.

I am soooooooo tired and have develped this amazing ability to sleep anywhere.  And I mean anywhere.  I used to be wary of a sleeping bag and a hard floor.  Who needs a sleeping bag???  The other day we were in a random parking lot on our way to Everett PA at a rest stop and in the middle of my PB & J's I propped my head up on the curb and used my Camel Bak as a pillow and fell asleep.  I probably was drooling.  I need to take up coffee or something- or even better miraculously become a morning person because I need all the energy I can get.  700 miles isn't even 1/4 of the way there.  Not even close.  And tomorrow I get to do our first century ride (100+ miles) from Columbus Ohio all the way to Richmond, Indiana.  All I can say though is thank goodness it will be flat!  I have had enough mountains, and steep hills, and rolling hills, and "almost flat" land.  I want it FLAT!